Exploring the mechanism of new transformations

Our reaction discovery programmes are supported by mechanistic studies. These take various forms based on the nature of the question being asked. Some examples that use isotopic labelling to discriminate between reaction pathways and provide insight into novel transformations are shown below.

chemdraw diagram showing 13C labelling studies to confirm mechansim - refer to CEJ, 2014, 20, 7262. — Isotopic labelling used to validate the reactivity hypothesis that ynamides would dictate the cyclisation

chemdraw diagram showing 13C labelling study elucidating parallel pathways for formation of pyrrole isomers. See BJOC 2011, 7, 839. — Use of isotopic labelling identified an unexpected pathway that coincidentally gave the same outcome